Historical figures in Cape Town
The atlas holds 17 people and 48 moments here, from 1775 to 2021. The most recorded lives are Nelson Mandela, Christiaan Barnard and Desmond Tutu. Among them Writers, Scientists and Political Leaders, across the Space Age and the Cold War.
Notable people
Allan MacLeod Cormack
from 1941 to 1957
6 moments here
South African-born American physicist and academic whose mathematical work helped establish computed tomography.…
Charles Darwin
in 1836
1 moment here
English naturalist, geologist, and biologist whose observations during the global voyage of HMS Beagle and subsequent research led to his theory of…
Christiaan Barnard
from 1940 to 1983
7 moments here
South African cardiac surgeon who led the team that performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape…
Desmond Tutu
from 1986 to 2021
6 moments here
South African Anglican bishop, theologian, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Archbishop of Cape Town, and chair of South Africa’s…
Elizabeth II
in 1947
2 moments here
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death.…
F. W. de Klerk
from 1990 to 2021
2 moments here
South African lawyer and National Party politician who served as State President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994…
James Cook
in 1775
1 moment here
British naval officer, hydrographer and explorer whose surveys of Newfoundland and three Pacific voyages transformed European geographic knowledge of…
Kofi Annan
in 2006
1 moment here
Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006.…
Laurent-Désiré Kabila
in 1997
1 moment here
Congolese revolutionary, rebel leader, and politician. Kabila led the Party of the People’s Revolution and the Maquis of Fizi, became head of the…
Mahatma Gandhi
in 1914
1 moment here
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, political ethicist, and leader of mass nonviolent resistance.…
Max Theiler
in 1916
1 moment here
South African-American virologist and physician whose work at Harvard, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Yale contributed to the development of the 17D…
Muammar Gaddafi
in 1999
2 moments here
Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician, and political theorist who ruled Libya from the 1969 coup until his overthrow and killing during…
Nelson Mandela
from 1955 to 2003
12 moments here
South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, lawyer and statesman. Mandela helped lead the African National Congress, co-founded its armed wing,…
Rudyard Kipling
in 1898
1 moment here
English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. Born in Bombay, Kipling spent his childhood in India and England, worked as a journalist…
Sarojini Naidu
in 1932
1 moment here
Indian poet, nationalist, women’s-rights advocate, president of the Indian National Congress, and first governor of the United Provinces.…
Steve Biko
from 1971 to 1977
2 moments here
Bantu Stephen Biko was a South African anti-apartheid activist and a leading theorist and organizer of the Black Consciousness Movement.…
Whitney Houston
in 1994
1 moment here
American singer, actress, producer, and cultural icon known for recordings including “I Will Always Love You,” major world tours, film roles, and…
Moments
- 1775 Anchors in Table Bay James Cook
- 1836 Explores the Cape region Charles Darwin
- 1898 Winter holiday at Groote Schuur Rudyard Kipling
- 1914 Departs Cape Town for England Mahatma Gandhi
- 1916 Medical studies in Cape Town Max Theiler
- 1932 Cape Town reception speech Sarojini Naidu
- 1940 Medical studies begin Christiaan Barnard
- 1941 Matriculation from Rondebosch Boys' High School Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1944 B.Sc. at the University of Cape Town Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1945 M.Sc. at the University of Cape Town Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1947 Marked her twenty-first birthday in Cape Town Elizabeth II
- 1947 Reviewed troops at Youngsfield Elizabeth II
- 1950 Lectureship at the University of Cape Town Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1951 Return to Cape Town hospital work Christiaan Barnard
- 1955 Proceeds to Cape Town Nelson Mandela
- 1956 Medical-physics work at Groote Schuur Hospital Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1957 Return to Cape Town for X-ray reconstruction experiment Allan MacLeod Cormack
- 1958 Experimental-surgery leadership Christiaan Barnard
- 1963 First confined on Robben Island Nelson Mandela
- 1964 Begins life sentence on Robben Island Nelson Mandela
- 1967 First human-to-human heart transplant Christiaan Barnard
- 1968 Heart-transplant symposium Christiaan Barnard
- 1971 Black Consciousness conference paper Steve Biko
- 1974 First heterotopic double-heart transplant Christiaan Barnard
- 1977 Trip to Cape Town Steve Biko
- 1982 Transferred to Pollsmoor Prison Nelson Mandela
- 1983 Retirement from surgical leadership Christiaan Barnard
- 1985 Treated at Volks Hospital Nelson Mandela
- 1986 Enthronement as Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu
- 1988 Meeting with P. W. Botha over Sharpeville Six Desmond Tutu
- 1988 Continues treatment at Constantiaberg Nelson Mandela
- 1988 Diagnosed at Tygerberg Hospital Nelson Mandela
- 1989 Cape Town protest march Desmond Tutu
- 1990 Meeting Nelson Mandela after release Desmond Tutu
- 1990 Opening-of-Parliament reform speech F. W. de Klerk
- 1990 Addresses Cape Town from City Hall Nelson Mandela
- 1990 Leads talks at Groote Schuur Nelson Mandela
- 1990 Political summit at Bishopscourt Desmond Tutu
- 1994 Cape Town South Africa concert Whitney Houston
- 1995 Returns to Robben Island Nelson Mandela
- 1997 Talks with Nelson Mandela Laurent-Désiré Kabila
- 1998 Revisits Robben Island with Clinton Nelson Mandela
- 1999 Visit to Cape Town Muammar Gaddafi
- 1999 Visit to Robben Island Muammar Gaddafi
- 2003 Addresses inaugural 46664 concert Nelson Mandela
- 2006 Visit to South Africa Kofi Annan
- 2021 Death at home in Fresnaye F. W. de Klerk
- 2021 Death at Oasis Frail Care Centre Desmond Tutu